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Venturing up Taree way end of next month - my Dad is at Nambuca heads and has to have an op so I'll be staying withhim for a week or so - how to pass time ???
I don't know Nambucca that well as it is a couple of hours north of me. We've had beautiful weather so the beach is an option, though maybe not to swim. Bowraville has an old movie theatre and a mad hatter tea room.
Cazza, that cake is divine! What is in the centre? For some reason I'm picturing mud cake.
AHHHHHH, I am getting so frustrated. 80% of the time I post it tells me that I do not have permission to post in that thread. I then have to go out of CC and come back in and it has posted but it is such a waste of time. The above post being a typical example.
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Here's a facebook one to get you started
Artcake.ru/unique handmade cakes by Jane Zubova
Thank you Cazza; that's amazing!!! Hang on a minute, please, whilst I pick up my jaw from the floor. Jane Zubova is an amazing artist as well as possessing wonderful cake decorating skills. Stunning cakes to look through but I could never aspire to 1% of the quality of her creations.
(For some reason I could not click onto the link above; I googled her name.)
Ha Ha, I didn't know you wanted a site that you could copy. I just love amazing cakes. Don't care if I could ever make them, just like to look.
Recently had a discussion with hubby on what cakes should look like. All my favorite cakes that I have made have been sculpted 3D thingies and do not look like cakes, unless you know. Hubby actually likes cakes that look like cakes. How boring, I might do him one with lace and flowers for his birthday.
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Ha Ha, I didn't know you wanted a site that you could copy. I just love amazing cakes. Don't care if I could ever make them, just like to look.
Recently had a discussion with hubby on what cakes should look like. All my favorite cakes that I have made have been sculpted 3D thingies and do not look like cakes, unless you know. Hubby actually likes cakes that look like cakes. How boring, I might do him one with lace and flowers for his birthday.
You should make a lace and flower cake for your hubby; that would be fun. Perhaps you could stick a hammer or a golf stick (or whatever is appropriate) in a flower.
I enjoy looking through amazing cakes as well as ones that give me ideas. I began with novelty cakes for our grandchildren (long after the old Women's Weekly children's cakes for our own children decades ago). Unfortunately I'm not an artist and I still struggle with models, particularly of people. I recently made a gym cake for my very pretty niece but I just could not do her justice. At the moment I'm interested in making pretty cakes (perhaps your husband's style :) ). I like Couture Cakes by Rose. She loves to experiment with techniques and is very generous with her tutorials.
Anyway, for now I'm in limbo. We sold our house 3 months ago and won't be able to move into our new apartment until, probably, mid next year. (I'll finally have a dedicated cake room.) Meanwhile, we're renting a tiny apartment and most of our belongings, including my cake stuff, are in storage.
Here's another one Cher Facebook Avalon Cakes. Some are doable, some are not. Scroll down into some of the older stuff.
Wow! Thank you Cazza. Avalon Cakes is a great site. I love her Elsa model and the twins' superhero cakes. Also lots of lovely elegant cakes. That will be a nice site to revisit from time-to-time.
Do you have cake photos on CakeCentral? I couldn't find them but that could be because of my pre-computer era brain.
Editing: I just found them (didn't scroll down enough). Your bougainvillea is beautiful and your christmas cakes are really sweet.
Julie Wilson, The Sweetest Things passed away from Melanoma today. I'm not sure if there are any other cakers on here from our area who knew Julie. She was a very talented decorator who was always friendly and generous with her time and knowledge and always ready for a chat with a fellow decorator. RIP Julie, you will be missed.
very sorry to hear that -- my sympathies and prayers to her family, loved ones and friends --
thank you for posting, 810wc
My Mum and Dad don't rush to cut their cakes, especially as they are always fruit cakes for them. They have had Dad's birthday cake sitting on the coffee table, since about May, as they finished the other fruit cake I also took over at the time. The cleaner announced the other day that something had eaten the corner off it. Wasn't the first thing to be nibbled recently, and they had put down baits, but no mice or rats to be had. You will never convince her otherwise but Mum is of the opinion that it is their local live in Gecko that is eating things. She says he is in hiding at the moment, as if he is guilty about being a cake thief. I told her that he is more likely to be in a diabetic coma somewhere. Anyway she lopped off the corner he had attacked and now is eating the rest and says it tastes great.
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Julie Wilson, The Sweetest Things passed away from Melanoma today. I'm not sure if there are any other cakers on here from our area who knew Julie. She was a very talented decorator who was always friendly and generous with her time and knowledge and always ready for a chat with a fellow decorator. RIP Julie, you will be missed.
Was she from Central Coast (NSW) ? - I am sure I met her at Guild/Assoc functions.
So sad to hear. Thanks for letting us know
Pam
Yes Pam, she had a shop at Terrigal and more recently opened her own kitchen with her daughter at Kincumber, she was very happy in her new kitchen and excited about her future there.
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Yes Pam, she had a shop at Terrigal and more recently opened her own kitchen with her daughter at Kincumber, she was very happy in her new kitchen and excited about her future there.
Oh my gosh. I used to go to her shop under the Crowne Plaza when I lived there. She was brilliant. She did a relatives wedding cake and I looked at getting her to do mine. That's terrible, she was so young.
Hi all - newbie from NSW. Been reading CC for years now, but could never post - finally worked out I needed Google Chrome instead of Internet Explorer, so now I'm back in the game (that is the game of wasting ...errr investing.... precious time on internet).
I found this thread for the Aussies here just today....woo hoo.....has taken me 6 hours to read all 639 posts - wanted to know what you'd all been talking about for the past 2 years (whilst I've been living under a rock).
I recognise many of you from other threads, so officially 'Hi, nice to meet you' - or should I say "G'day, how ya goin mate"?
Hi, Magic mouthfuls and welcome. Missed this post when you did it. Must have been a pile of other ones that pushed it out of the way. Where abouts on the Sapphire Coast are you. I spent many a holiday in Merimbula when we grew up in Victoria. I still remember how much it stank at the Cheese factory in Bega when Mum decided we needed an educational trip and that was about 45 years ago.
Thanks Cazza
I'm on a farm not too far from the big cheese - but was on the coast edge near Merimbula last year. I think you are from Geraldton is that right? We did the big lap 4 years ago and had lunch on the river there on our way down the Pilbara. Very pretty town.
So far in my life I've lived in Wollongong, Melbourne, Snowies, Whitsundays, Sapphire Coast and if you count the big lap - pretty much every where else too.
I've got to pick up some specialty cheese at the Bega Heritage centre in a few weeks for a gig - so I shall look forward to the smell. 
Shall I take a peg for my nose??
I'm a bit like you and have moved around. Hamilton, Ararat, Melbourne, Ballarat, Melbourne, Swan Hill (all in Victoria) and finally Geraldton 12 years ago. We did our big lap in stages of 2 - 7 months, over a few years, before emigrating to W.A. I also did locum work for about 12 weeks a year (generally 2 lots of 6) for about 7 of our years here, flying off to all parts of Australia. Am feeling a bit planted at the moment but only 6 years until hubby retires and then we will travel for 5 months of the year and spent bowls season at home for him. I'm already planning the first trip, 6 years will not take long................................just 6 years!
Welcome Magic Mouthfuls, I haven't been on for a few days , I do have a valid excuse though I am organising my cake room, planning a demo at Spotlight and trying to get all the secretary stuff for the cake club up to date before our last full meeting of the year and our shopping centre display and of course the onslaught of Christmas.
Oh did I mention I also have to do the raffle cake for the shopping centre display.
Cazza , do you realise it is only just on 10 months before we meet face to face at the National . 
How is your Dad doing? and your daughter?
Hi Mimi, funny I was thinking about the seminar yesterday and jumped on line to check out plane schedules and fares. Have to work out how to get to Gold Coast from Brisbane airport as do not want to stay in Sydney overnight to fly in to Coolangatta. Was also looking in my cupboards today and noticed all the things I have bought at craft fairs over the years and not used and wondered how much of that I would do at the cake conference.
Dad is doing well and is out of hospital. Daughter also seems to be fine again.
Brother and SIL are due sometime in the next few weeks so have started Mum and Dad's Christmas cake so they can take it back to Queensland, rather than having to mail it. Means I can do something a bit more 3 dimensional, which makes it more fun.
Gold Coast from the Brisbane airport is easy , take the Airporter train to Robina. At the Tassie National , they organised buses for us from the Airport , I wonder if they will do the same here . It is a quick cab or bus ride from there. Are you staying at Broadbeach? . We have booked into Jupiter's for the week.
I am doing a Christmas Carousel for the raffle cake. I am really looking forward to doing it. I have the cakes baked already cause it is fruit. I just need to work out what I am going to do for Spotlight.
Thanks for my welcome Mimi
Hey all Aussies out there.... just found Woolworths is now selling Gel pastes in the cake aisle. 'Queen' has brought a range of Food Colour Gels - boring primary colours only at this stage, but its half the price of Wilton - at $2.49 for a little 15g tube. Yes, a tube. No more sticking the little toothpick in the jar. I bought the yellow - only because that was the only colour I didnt have in gel pastes, but as yet do not have a project I need it for. Will report back on it once I do.
Oooh, and Woolies is also selling an edible pen - only in black and a pretty thick nib.
I hate that Woolies is selling products that only 'the industry' should know about , but gee, I am wrapt to buy local not to pay freight.
Hi Aussies.
Has anyone tried Carma Massa Ticino Tropic fondant? I'd love to hear about experiences with it. There seems to be a lot of Internet and CC chatter about it, some suggesting that it is the best fondant and has no problems with tearing or elephant skin. I used to love Satin Ice but now have lots of difficulty with it - too sticky, elephant skin, thinning at upper edges. I don't know whether the problem is me, Sydney humidity or the product.
I contacted the Carma company and they referred me to their sole distributor in Australia; it seems that their stock is now out of date and they are not ordering any more.
The chatter suggests that Carma Massa Ticino is very expensive and yet, when I do the maths, it was considerably cheaper from the distributor than what I pay for Satin Ice.
I'd like to hear some discussion on this particular product or any concerns or guidance re fondant difficulties in general.
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I have never seen it on any Australian websites or in any stores. Hard to try products when it is not out there for the masses.
I agree Cazza. The importer (who appears to be a general food importer) told me they were pretty well only selling to bakers - not shops. I wonder what marketing was done, given how invisible it has been.
ASorry to hijack your thread and apologies for it not being cake related (we don't let that bother us on the uk thread but apart from that I'm on my phone so can't start a new one). I'm hoping some of you who are on Facebook can help. On Saturday at the rugby an Australian man approached a Welsh family and asked if he could give the little girl, Amelie, a koala bear. He said his granddaughter, Anna, gave it to him and asked him to give it to a little Welsh girl. Amelie's mother is asking on Facebook if we can share this in the hope it reaches Australia and Anna can be found. Amelie has named the koala Anna, she's delighted with it and would really like to write to Anna to say thankyou. If any of you would be kind enough to post this story on your Facebook page and start sharing it I'd be most grateful. :-)
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